Would we be talking about a second Miracle on Ice today if Sidney Crosby and Co. hadn't been reinforced by a sea of red-and-maple-leafed homefield advantage for yesterday's scintillating gold-medal game? Probably not, but you've gotta wonder what would come of an international competition that was actually, you know, fair.

The Times op-ed page redeemed itself from Sunday's superlative-laden Al Gore propaganda with a novel idea this morning from consultant Charles Banks-Altekruse: Why not just move the Games, permanently, to Switzerland? Most of his reasoning, unfortunately, remains rooted in superlative-laden propaganda — there's more than a hint of bitterness from this former Olympian, and everyone knows the IOC is about as corrupt as a New York Congressman. But I can't help but think this guy is onto something.

Because no matter how much snow they'd get in the Alps, nor how many bungled stadium deals such a new plan would avoid, there's one thing we've refused to talk about during these biennial two weeks that we actually talk about the Olympics: No one wants to host them anymore. The politicking for the 2016 Games was one thing, but if you look to the recession-afflicted, broke-city bids coming up for the 2020 Winter Olympics, can you find me one place that really, truly stands to benefit from winning? Are that many more people really going to visit Buenos Aires because Shaun White will be there? And is it really worth the hassle? Our president would probably tell you it's not, and so would NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who's got a good thing going with the Super Bowl's Southern rotation (and who would be making a mistake to bring it up North). So why not resurrect Bill Bradley's old amendment and give Switzerland — or, hell, even poor, ski-friendly Chile — a shot at trying out the next few Winter Games? Their hockey and curling teams might still kick our ass, but, hey, we're more partial to the Norwegians, anyway. And the Swiss can still teach us something. How to save a buck, for one. And how to stay out of war, for another.